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Inquiries made with regard to the physically defective child in the ordinary elementary
school proved that the teachers in these schools would also be glad to see the children removed,
as it is difficult to cope with a child who is outside the normal discipline of the form. From an
inspection of the books of one child, who had been in the same form both before and after having
had rheumatic fever, which had left her with a slightly affected heart, it was noticeable that her
writing had much deteriorated, and that her work was generally much less neat. The mistress
in charge, however, said that her intelligence seemed quite unaffected.
This mistress thought that in general the physically defective children were definitely not
so good at work requiring concentration and applied thought, such as mathematics, as at subjects
which had an emotional appeal—a statement which corroborates those already made. She found
that these children were more readily influenced through colour or music than by any mere process
of reasoning—and this to a more marked degree than the ordinary child. This is, perhaps, in
some ways a disadvantage, as the children are apt to become over-excited when any appeal is
made to their emotions.
At one school reference was made to another side of the question. It was stated that physically
defective children—boys in particular—need especially careful supervision at the adolescent
stage, from the point of view of morality. Being more thrown in upon themselves than the
normal child, and being unable to "work-off" their energy in games and hard exercise, they
were more likely to be affected by the changes associated with puberty and to adopt an unhealthy
sexual viewpoint. Prom this angle, physically defective children need more careful watching
than the ordinary child.
The attitude of the. children towards the ambulance and towards other children provides
another useful indication of their mentality. It is found that here a sharp differentiation must
be made between little children or those whose have been physically defective from an early age,
and those who have only been found to be so at the age of ten or twelve.
Small children are always very pleased to ride in the ambulance. They like the ride and
feel pleased and important to be signalled out for such an honour. Those who have been more
or less physically defective from an early age merely accept the ambulance as part of their general
routine, and simply think it a useful aid to them in getting to and from school with the minimum
amount of discomfort.
Amongst older children who have only just had to use it, however, there is a fierce resentment
at the fact that they have to be "helped," and are no longer so strong or so capable as their
former school-fellows. Their pride sometimes suffers badly through this.
There is to be found amongst most "heart" cases a feeling of thankfulness that their defect
does not "show" and that they cannot be distinguished from ordinary children. This is, of
course, intensified by their association with cripples in schools for the physically defective. In
general, however, the children do not appear to make any differentiation between themselves
and normal children. They mix with them quite happily in the streets, and do not appear to
regard themselves as "different." There appears to be very little feeling of inferiority among
the children who look normal—although this may not be so with the crippled children.
In school, their attitude is just that of normal children. Like them, they are either "good
or bad mixers" socially, and, in general, conclusions can be drawn. Usually they are helpful
and sympathetic towards one another. It is most unusual for one child to taunt another, or to
comment in any way upon a disability. If any such instance should, rarely, occur, public opinion
meets it with marked blame and repugnance. It is found that children, when first entering
the school, are generally less sympathetic towards the others than those that have been there for
some little time. Some of these children are rather spoilt, and given special privileges at home,
and each of them is occasionally rather apt to regard himself as being the only person whose
defect is worthy of sympathy and special treatment. It is of incalculable value for such children
to be placed in an atmosphere where they become merely "one of a crowd," and have to realise
that they are not of special importance.
Unwise home treatment is, indeed, one of the greatest difficulties that have to be contended
with in school. The "over-possessive" mother, who wraps her child round with care and special
injunctions, giving it the feeling that it is different from everyone else, and encouraging valetudinarianism,
is far too common ; and there is a feeling that the child with even a "cruel," or at
least indifferent mother, has a better chance of achieving a healthy mental attitude than the
child with an overfond one with regard to its defect.
The reasons for which the children are absent provide another point that is of interest.
In many cases they are absent to attend hospital, or by the doctor's orders. As regards this
latter reason it is felt that there are a number of medical men who know very little about the
schools, and often, without enquiring what kind of school the child attends, prescribe absence
in cases where the child would be infinitely better looked after at school than at home. In most
cases, where the child is at home, it is either, as has already been said, working at various domestic
tasks, or else playing in the streets, obtaining no rest, having inadequate diet, and receiving
insufficient medical supervision.
Some children, of course, and more mothers, trade upon the child's physical infirmity in
order to keep it awav from school. It is rarer, however, for the child to do so than for the mother,
and in the latter case, it is found that the child is kept away upon some trifling excuse, which is,
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